I get this question pretty frequently, especially from hobbyists had folks who are considering going intophotography as a business. So, I thought I’d  post a detailed breakdown of some of the gear I use on a regular basis.

(At a glance: Two Canon 5D camera bodies, Canon 16-35mm 4/2.8L, Canon 50mm f/1.4, Canon 28-70mm f/2.8, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8, Two Canon 580EXII Speedlights, a collection of Alienbees strobes.)

My Cameras

I shoot on two Canon 5D bodies. Before buying all of my lenses and accessories and such, I had to select my platform. Although there are lots of choices, at the end of the day the question really comes down to Canon or Nikon. Both companies make truly formidable hardware and both companies are endorsed by some really excellent photographers. But, for my taste, I strongly prefer Canon over Nikon so that is what I chose.

All of Canon’s professional cameras (Beginning with the 30D/40D/50D models) share roughly the same interface. Two wheels—one by your thumb to control aperture, and one by your index finger to control shutter speed. All of your basic settings can be rapidly adjusted without taking your eye out of the viewfinder, and without having to navigate some kind of digital menu.

Another personal appreciation of I have for the 5D is that I find it easier to mimic the effects of true film, without so many steps in Photoshop. Of course, this has a great deal to do with visual style, but it is among the reasons I have not updated to the new Canon 5D MkII.

My Lenses

I shoot on four standard lenses which cover my whole focal range. From widest to longest:

Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L – This lens is absolutely indispensible for wedding and real estate photography. It’s wide, but not fisheye so it’s great for getting a lot of information into a picture, without a lot of space to do it.

Canon 50mm f/1.4 – This is my only non ‘L’ lens, but it’s probably my favorite. At an aperture of 1.4, the depth of field is almost paper thin. A portrait can have the subjects eyes in sharp focus, but her eyelashes well out of focus. It’s also extremely lightweight and portable. Not to mention, you need significantly less light to expose a photograph properly.

Canon 28-70mm f/2.8L – This lens is sort of the catch-all in my kit. It’s excellent for photographs during a wedding’s ceremony and really any situation where you can be close but not that close. This lens was later replaced with the almost identical Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L. It’s also a formidable lens, but with the 28-70mm about $400 less expensive on the used market, I didn’t find it worth the extra expense.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L – Portraits are rarely as flattering as they are from very long focal lengths. That’s why the Canon 70-200L is my favorite portrait lens—that is, when I have the space to use it. I also use this lens during weddings, perched in the back with an assistant. It’s sure to catch a clear, detailed view of that all-important first kiss.

My Light

While it might seem like the camera body or the lens takes the cake, light is really a photographers most important tool. In every stage of the photographic experience—from shooting, to viewing images—light is that absolute unchanging necessity. So, like any photographer, I use light as a tool. Whether it’s modifying light that’s already present, or bringing my own light. Here are some of my tools in that:

Canon 580EXII Speedlights – I use two of these. Partially for redundancy and partially to achieve different effects. With the help of a set of PocketWizards, I am able to have one 580EX mounted on my camera, while a second rests on a discreet stand across the dance floor. The light from multiple angles adds drama and a three-dimensional effect to event photography. Also with the help of the PocketWizards, these lights act as great fill lights in outdoor portrait photography.

AlienBees – For bigger and more demanding portrait work, I use the surprisingly affordable AlienBees strobes. They’re durable and produce a lot of light. They’re also inexpensive enough that additional strobes can be added on a whim as the needs of studio work change.

Marty & Chelsea’s engagement session was quite an ordeal. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t intend to imply that Marty or Chelsea had anything to do with that. In fact, we had a great time. But the weather, on the other hand, was stubborn. We had the session set up for a Sunday afternoon. Five minutes into shooting, however, the clouds opened up and I had to rush the equipment back in doors.

So we rescheduled the shoot for the following Thursday. All the way up until it was time to shoot, we were watching the sky wondering if we were going to get rained out again. Luckily, at just about the last second, the sun came out and made for some really wonderful photographs.

The photographs on the second line were from our first day of shooting. All the rest were from the second. Most of these shots were caught using natural light. The one’s sitting by the tree had the help of a Canon 580ex off camera and direct sun backlighting. With the exception of the first two, post processing on these was limited to black point adjustments.

I know that I’m posting these pictures late. But better late than never, right?

These pictures were taken for Felipe and his girlfriend, Salla, before her senior prom and right before she headed home (Salla was a foreign exchange student). You might recognize Felipe. He’s very talented and works with me regularly as an assistant and occasionally second photographer. He may be young, but he’s skills are already very impressive.

These pictures were taken at one of my favorite spots in Bowie, MD. You might recognize it from a couple of other photos in my portraits gallery.

I met Kristina a couple years ago through an unofficial church group. Since then, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to photograph her. Two weeks ago, I got my opportunity. Unfortunately, our original shooting location fell through. However, we did find a suitable substitute that wasn’t too far from my original vision. We had such a good time and such an effective collaboration (Kristina is a fashion consultant) we’re planning to team up again sometime. Hopefully this time it won’t take two years!

These images were all shot very long, using a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L, with the exception of the third image, which was shot wide, using the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L. The images were captured with an f/stop between 2.8 and 3.5 to achieve the shallow depth of field. A gold reflector was used to create the warm highlights on her face. In post processing, these images received minor black point adjustments and subtle background enhancements. And, in the case of the third image, a boost in contrast.

I was contacted to do these pictures at the last minute before Father’s day as a last minute gift. Luckily the local lab I use has rush delivery options at pretty reasonable prices. So with a little diligence, these showed up with time to spare. Mrs. Rodgers was ecstatic and absolutely loved the results.

I had a great time with the Rodger’s siblings. Our original plan to take these photographs by a lake was thwarted when we discovered a concert was being held there. So instead we made our way to a local historical site, The Belair Mansion in Bowie, MD. The setting proved to be perfect for the shoot. The building is surrounded by trees which created an excellent texture in the back ground.

I chose this time of day intentionally to achieve the haloing effect without having the create it with an elaborate light set-up which usually proves not as authentic looking anyway. I used a wireless Canon 580exII Speedlight and a diffuser umbrella to achieve the soft fill light as seen in first three pictures. The remaining five pictures were photographed in the shadow the mansion using only natural light.

These images received no post processing, with the exception of minor tint shifting and black point adjustment.